Machine for dressing or finishing silk stuffs.



E. SOHNEEBELI.

MACHINE FOR DRESSING 0R FINISHING SILK STUFFS. AIPLIOATION FILED JUNE12, 1914.

J Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

Echneczbeh.

72m ATTORNEY the cost of manufacture, the time required UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

EMIL SCHNEEBELI, or AFFOLTERN-ON-THE-ALBIS, SWITZERLAND.

MACHINE FORrIDRESSING OB FINISHING SILK STUIFS.

Application filed June 12, 1914. Serial No. 844,820.

'1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMIL SCHNEEBELI, a citizen of the Republic ofSwitzerland, residing at Afl'oltern-on-the-Albis, in the Canton ofZurich, Republic of Switzerland, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Machines for Dressing or Finishing Silk Stuii's; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved machinefor'dressing or finishing silk stuffs which machine preserves thefreshness, the feel and the luster or gloss of the fabrics treated,shortens the time required for the finishing process, and furtherrenders possible the employment of different methods of treatment. Forthe purpose of attaining this object the fabric is caused to passthrough two superposed devices for spraying two different compositionson the fabric, which latter then passes through a drying box, in whichits two sides are exposed to the drying action of a current of airflowing in a direction opposite to that of the travel of the fabric, andfinally during the same travel of the fabric through the machine, thesaid fabric passes through the finishing elements, such as breakingrollers and calenders.

The separate devices which the improved dressing or finishing machinecomprises, such as the rollers and the nozzles for applying the dressingor the like, the drying box, the breaking rollers and the calenderrollers, are of the usual design commonly adopted in the art. Whereas,however, it was necessary hitherto that the fabric should traverseseveral machines, for the purpose of receiving-a complete finish, thefabric according to this invention need traverse the improved machine,in which the separate devices. are arranged and combined in a suitablemanner, only once for the purpose of receiving a complete finish. Byemploying the improved machine it is therefore possible to efiect aconsiderable saving in for the finishing pr0cess,.the working expenses,the attendance and the space required by the machine. As the fabric needSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

pass through the machine only once'fthe same retains its freshness, itsfeel and its I or for moistening and calendering. The

superposing of the spraying devices renders possible to spraysimultaneously different dressing compositions on the fabric, whichcompositions cannot be mixed together, the application of which,however, is necessary for insuring a perfect finish. By means of thecurrent of drying air accurately following the zigzag course taken bythe fabric to be dried, but moving in opposite direc-' tion thereto, anduniformly passing over the two sides of the fabric, a drying effect ofany desired degree may be obtained, and thus the fabric may be allowedto issue from the drying box at any desired rate which is required bythe succeeding calender. This effect cannot be obtained with theexisting drying contrivances working with or without the use of thecounter-current principle.

The improved machine may be employed Further the dressing compositionmay be applied without artificial heating and cold air may also be usedfor drying.

One form of carrying the invention into effect is shown diagrammaticallyin the accompanying drawing, by way of example.

In carrying the invention into effect as shown in the drawing, thefabric 2 passes from an unwinding/roller 1 over a supporting roller 3,and over a wire netting, which is not shown in the drawing and whichserves for preventing the fabric, when torn, from dropping down into thegear, to a guide roiler 4, at the opposite end of the machine. At thisroller 4, the direction of travel of the fabric web is changed fromhorizontal to vertical. In this vertical direction of travel the fabrictraverses two 'sprayingchambers 5- and 6, in-which the dressingcomposition is sucked up in a known manner by spraying nozzles 7 and 8,and is applied to the fabric 2, The object of these two sprayingchambers is to enable one to apply to the fabric two differentcompositions which cannot be used togetherin one solution, and which arenecessary for imparting certain properties to the fabric. From thespraying chambers, the fabric passes over a guide roller 9 into a dryingchamber 12 of ordinary design, and provided with partitions or baffles10 and 11,; in which drying chamber a considerable length of the fabricis exposed to the action of a current of air moving in counter-directionto the travel of the fabric and heatedto suit the particularrequirements of each case. Of the guide rollers lid-23, the roller 14 isconnected to the counter shaft 27 by means of a belt drive 24, 25, 26,which counter shaft 27 is driven. from the shaft 28.

Into the right handend of thedrying chamber 12 there opens a pipe 29through which hot air to be used for drying is supplied, which airleaves the drying chamber at the opposite end through a pipe' 30.

Owing to thefact that the fabric traversing the drying chamberencounters a hot current of air moving in-the opposite direction to thetravel of the fabric, a rapid drying is the result. The current ofdrying air accurately following the zigzag shaped course taken by thefabric\to be dried, but moving in an opposite direction thereto anduniformly passing over both sides of the fabric,

.renders-possibleiany desired degree of drymg, so thatthe fabric may beallowed to leave the drying box at any desired speed which may berequired by the succeeding calenden From the. drying chamber, the

fabric passes over a. guide roller 31 to the roller 33 which is drivenfrom the roller 14 by means ofLa-belt32, and fromthere to a 45esign,.-'.which latter may be moved if reair' of-breaking rollers 34,35of ordinary quired. Thereafter'the fabric 2 passes over a guide roller36 to two calender rollers '37, 38, which are of usual design and ofwhich the upper roller is pressed against the lower roller by the actionof its own weight and the pressure exerted by the adjustable weight 39,the said roller, however, may be relieved of .the pressure exerted bythe weight 39, in a known manner. by means of the hand operated lever40,-t he cam 41,

and intermediate connecting rods. From the calender rollers which impartto the fabric any desired degree of luster or gloss, the fabric passesover aknown drawing roller 44 mounted on levers 42 and moved upward by aweight 43, and fromthereto a Winding up roller 46, driven by" means ofbelts 45-, from the shaft 27, and arranged above the unwinding roller 1.If necessary the fabric, before being wound up, may be passed over asecond pair of breaking rollers 47,48.

If the fabric is only to be moistened, it is allowed to pass from theguide roller 9 over five guide rollers 49, 50, 51, 52 and 48 to I thedrawing roller 44, thus by-passing the drying chamber 12.

The calender rollers are driven by a toothed gear wheel train 53, 54,,55, 56 and 57. 1

If required, the fabric may be sprayed with dressing on both sides, forwhich purpose two spraying nozzles are arranged. in

each chamber 5 and 6. Further the fabric,

before entering the spraying chambers 5 and 6, may pass over rollers 58,59 and 60, and

be provided with dressing liquor by means,

of a roller 61 or by means of brushes.

at-I claim is for spraying dressing compositions on to the fabricconsisting of two stiperposed chambers through which the fabric movesvertically, nozzles arranged within said chambers, a drying box,finishing'elements,

., .85 1. A machine for dressing or finishing silk stufi's comprising incombination means and means for moving the fabric succe ssively to thevarious devices.

'2. A machine for dressing or finishing silk stufls comprising incombination means for spraying dressing compositions -on to the fabric,a drying box having-a zig-zag passage and means-for guiding the fabrictherethrough, means 'forycausing' two independent streams of airltopass. one on each

